Battery charge balancing system having parallel switched energy storage elements
First Claim
1. A method for balancing charge of a plurality of series-connected batteries, said method comprising:
- (a) coupling each of a plurality of energy storage circuits across a respective one of said batteries;
(b) coupling said plurality of energy-storage circuits in parallel with one another and across none of said batteries; and
alternately repeating steps (a) and (b).
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for balancing charge of a plurality of series-connected batteries includes alternately coupling each of a plurality of energy storage circuits across a respective one of the batteries and in parallel with each other. A charge balancing system comprises a plurality of series connected batteries and a plurality of energy storage circuits. The system also includes switching circuitry for alternately connecting each energy storage circuit across a respective one of the batteries and in parallel with each other. The switching circuitry can also be controlled to couple a plurality of the energy storage circuits across a relatively-highly-charged battery and then across a relatively-weakly-charged battery.
-
Citations
17 Claims
-
1. A method for balancing charge of a plurality of series-connected batteries, said method comprising:
-
(a) coupling each of a plurality of energy storage circuits across a respective one of said batteries; (b) coupling said plurality of energy-storage circuits in parallel with one another and across none of said batteries; and alternately repeating steps (a) and (b). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A system for balancing charge to a plurality of batteries, said system comprising:
-
a plurality of series connected batteries; a plurality of energy storage circuits; means for alternately connecting each said energy storage circuit across a respective one of said batteries and in parallel with each other across none of said batteries. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A battery charge balancing system comprising:
-
a plurality of series-connected batteries each having a first and second terminal; a plurality of switching circuits equal in number to said plurality of batteries, each said switching circuit coupled to a respective one of said batteries and further comprising; an energy storage circuit having a first and second termination; a first switch coupled between said first termination of said energy storage circuit and the first terminal of said respective battery; a second switch coupled between said second termination of said energy storage circuit and the second terminal of said respective battery; a third switch coupled between said first termination of said energy storage circuit and a first common point; a fourth switch coupled between said second termination of said energy storage circuit and a second common point; wherein said first common points of said switching circuits are coupled together and said second common points of said switching circuits are coupled together. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
-
Specification